I'm probably the only one, but, to be honest, I wasn't blown away. I liked the idea of the movie, but I didn't like the (visual) execution. In my opinion, this is a movie with an ensemble cast, the five emotions. Joy and sadness were well developed. I felt that the others had a minor role, especially fear and disgust. I was disappointed that the scenes in which Joy and Sadness were finding their way back to the core station wasn't that elaborated visually. Sometimes, I felt they were more talking than experiencing. I liked the imaginary friend, the elephant, and how it helped Joy to cross the gap to the other 'planet'. Maybe I'll have another experience when I watch it for the second time later in the year.

>>Riley’s emotions have confidence that they can work together to help her lead a happy life. Ignorance is bliss! What they don't know about what the "features" of puberty that come with the console upgrade! A funny beat on which to end the movie. And a great setup for a sequel. I thought the movie was an interesting example of a transformational character arc from an old dysfunctional disunity to a new functional unity. About which more, no doubt, will be said.

Sharita, they certainly pitch the movie as an ensemble piece with the five emotions, but clearly Joy and Sadness are at the center of story. I have read where originally, writer-director Pete Docter said Joy and Fear were paired, but that makes no sense: Joy and Sadness are polar opposites on the emotion scale, so if Riley's arc is from sadness to some semblance of balancing sadness with joy in the end, it only makes sense these two will be at the heart of the story. There is a really interesting thing going on structurally once Joy and Sadness get separated from the others as there are three key storylines: * Joy and Sadness (and eventually Bing Bong) trying to get back to Headquarters * Fear, Disgust, and Anger in Headquarters * Riley in real life I'll have more on this when we get to plot, but - again - it seems natural that with Joy and Sadness on their dangerous journey to return to Headquarters, whatever Fear, Anger, and Disgust do will feel in some way secondary. I do think Disgust could have been used to greater effect. Anger cuts a big figure due to his bombastic nature and the big plot shift which occurs based on his decision later in Act Two. Fear is pretty much played for laughs. I can see your critique. However I guess I was most interested in the symbiotic relationship between Riley - Joy - Sadness because they were all tied to the central question of the movie: Will Riley survive her emotional upheaval and find equilibrium in this new place she calls home. Re Bing Bong: One of the best secondary characters in a movie in a long time. I've heard several people say that scene where he sacrifices himself totally slayed them emotionally. Thanks for your thoughts. I hope you get a chance to see Inside Out again. I do, too. Be interesting how it plays upon a second viewing.

Paul, your last point is why I got all hot and bothered about the movie because from a theoretical and structural standpoint, this movie slides right up there with The Silence of the Lambs as two films which completely and utterly represent what I teach and 'preach' here on the blog. I'll get into that in my comments next. That whole adolescent thing at the end was great. Thank God for Pixar. They're smart, great storytellers, aren't afraid of trafficking in genuine emotions, and they always... ALWAYS have a great sense of humor. Look forward to your thoughts as the week progresses!

For those of you who follow this blog, remember how I talk about this: When something happens... something ELSE happens. Referencing the two 'worlds' of a screenplay universe: There is the External World, the domain of Action and Dialogue, the realm of a story’s Physical Journey. There is the Internal World, the domain of Intention and Subtext, the realm of a story’s Psychological Journey. Inside Out is the PERFECT REPRESENTATION of that idea. We LITERALLY have a story which plays out in these two domains: What's going on in Riley's life... and the something ELSE which occurs INSIDE Riley. What's more, what happens INSIDE Riley is completely and utterly a PSYCHOLOGICAL JOURNEY. Five emotional aspects of Riley's personality (or psyche). That's only just the start. Riley's journey is from Disunity to Unity. But what's so beautiful about her arc -- I'll get into this more on Thursday -- is it's not a typical hero's journey, slaying a dragon or defeating an army, rather it's simply about her having the strength of character to confess the truth to her parents: She is unhappy. She doesn't like it here. She tried to be Daddy's good girl, but that did and does not represent how she feels. And so her move toward Unity is not a battle against some sentient Nemesis figure, but instead the cathartic release of her sadness with her parents, their acceptance of her, and an embrace of both Joy and Sadness (and her other emotions). We are not Joy all the time. We are not Sadness all the time. We are not Disgust, Anger, or Fear all the time. Instead we are ALL of those at once. They are ALL present (and, of course, many other emotions), roiling around inside. The trick is to understand that and embrace that fact, even the presence of our darkest impulses, explore them, get curious about them, and bring them into the light of our consciousness to see how they can play a part in our path toward wholeness. To me, Inside Out may be the most important movie of the Pixar canon. Imagine this message going out to the children who see the movie: It's okay to have feelings. You don't need to be ashamed or afraid of them. The best thing you can do is share them with someone you love and trust. Beyond that, I thought the movie was wildly entertaining. But then, I live this psychological stuff all of the time between my writing, teaching, studying, and blogging, so I'm probably too easy an audience. I look forward to digging into the movie this week! NOTE: I am traveling on business this week, so my posts in this series will be a bit spotty. But please, I would LOVE to hear what you have to say about the movie, even if you HATE it. There's no right or wrong with how you feel about a movie. I mean... IT'S OKAY TO HAVE YOUR FEELINGS! Now where in the world did I get that idea from...